Barge construction



n 1958 G. H. CHAPMAN ETAL BARGE CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 23. 1953 v H C'f/APMAN INVENTORS 6AL June 24, 1958 e. H. CHAPMAN ETAL 2,840,027

BARGE CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 23. 1953 INVENTORS CHAPMAN 9 Z ZE' L/E B- DUF/l/VT 147' TOE/VI V5 June 24, 1958 (a. H. CHAPMAN ETAL BARGE CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 23. 1953 INVENTORS 6415 H CHAPMAN ZE'JL/f 5. 00F4/v7' WVM ATTJF/VEVS June 24, 1958 a. H. CHAPMAN ETAL v 7 2,840,027

BARGE CONSTRUCTION Filed July 25 1.953 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Z4 INVENTORS 6141.5 fr. CHAPMAN BfJZ/E 5. 00/?4/V7 ,z ATTORNEYS 2,840,027 BARGE CONSTRUCTION Gale H. Chapman, Minneapolis, Minn., and Leslie B.

Durant, New Orleans, to Upper Mississippi Towing Corporation, Minneapolis,

Minn, a corporation of Minnesota, and fifty percent to Alexander Shipyard, Inc., New Orleans, La., a corporation of Louisiana a Application July 23, 1953, Serial No. 369,850 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-73) Our invention relates to barges, and has for its principal object the provision of a barge capable of efliciently and interchangeably carrying dry or liquid cargoes.

A further object of our invention is a structure of the type described which provides a plurality of cargo containing compartments, which compartments are defined by relatively smooth wall surfaces so as to make possible the frequent changing of cargoes, that is from liquid to dry without fear of contamination of'one by the other. 7

A still further object of our invention is the provision of a barge of. the class described which may be easily and completely drained or emptied 'of fluid or fluent material in a minimum of time, with a minimum of labor, and without the use of special equipment, and with a degree of efficiency heretofore unheard of.

A still further object of our invention is the provision of a specifically novel means for draining fluid from the several compartments whether said fluid be in the nature of cargo or cleaning fluid.

A still further object of our invention is the provision of drain wells underlying each of the compartments in a barge of the above type having independent means for draining liquid from said drain wells.

A still further object of our invention is the provision of a barge, the compartments of which are completely self-draining when a certain order of drainage of the compartments is followed.

A still further object of our invention is the provision of a novel double walled hull which provides space between said walls for conduits, valves and the like, thereby making it possible to interior compartment walls completely free and smooth.

A still further and important object of our invention is the provision of anovel hatch for the top openings to the several compartments, and specifically novel means for raising and lowering, imparting horizontal sliding movements of same to and from operative positions, and sealing same.

The above and still further objects of our invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the -drawings,wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a view in top plan;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical axial section taken'substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view in plan showing the drainage system for liquid cargo;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view corresponding to Fig. 4, but showing other drainage systems of our invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse. section taken substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section through one of the hatch covers of our novel barge, taken substantially on the line La., assignors of fifty percent leave the exterior wall andthe tion of Fig. 8',

the provision of.

ice

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view inside elevation as seen from the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail corresponding to a por- Fig. 11 is a view Fig. 12 is a fragmentary top plan view of our novel barge on an enlarged scale, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12; g

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 14-14 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on:

the line 15-15 of Fig. 6. 7

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in its entirety the hull of our novel barge. opposite side walls wall 5. It will be noted that the bottom wall 2 tapers I at the front and rear portions in the conventional manspaced cargo storage compartments 14.

, the bulkheads nor. Compartment forming wall elements including the bottom wall element 6'and side wall elements 7 are spaced from the companion wall elements 2 and 3 by means of truss-acting 8 and 9 respectively. Wall well as the reinforcing truss elements 8 and 9, areformed of suitable sheet and bar steel suitably welded to an air tight structure. Top wall element 10 extends around theperipheral edge of the barge and connects the walls 3 and 7. Preferably and as shown, the wall' elements 7 extend upwardly from the top wall elements 10, as indicated at 11, and have suitably mounted thereto partial closure walls 12. Walls 12 are supported by a plurality of longitudinally-spacedtransversely extended bulkheads 13 which provide, a plurality of longitudinally ticularly in Fig. 12, the wall elements 12.; have central longitudinally-spaced openings of the storage compartments 14. Each of the openings hereinafter be described in detail. It will be noted that the inner Walls 6, 7, and 12 provide smooth surfaces for the compartments 14, as do the rearward and forward walls 17 and 18, respectively, 13, see particularly Fig. 15. q Not only do the spaced walls 2, 3, 6, and 7Iprovide a very rigid hull, but the compartments 7, and at its forward portion a transverse branch or conduit21' extends between the bottom walls 2 and 6 and terminate in central wells 22, which open upwardly into the foremost storage compartments larly drained through a pipe the pump 19, and

and branch connections 26all branches beingconnected to central wells identical to well 22. However, it will be noted that the wells 22 in all of the compartments 14, save thesternmost thereof, are located immediately adjacent the forward walls 27 of the bulkheads 13. This arrangement assures complete drainage of these compartments when the most Paizented June 24, 1953 corresponding, to Fig. 10, but showing a difierent position of some of the parts;

Hull 1 is made up of a bottom wall 2, 3, a rear end wall 4, and a front} transverse and angular members elements 2, 3, 6, and 7, as"

make i As shown pari 15 therein, one over each of}which will also one in which the cargo within 14 is kept from water even 'in' the event of a temporary leak in the walls 2 and 3. Frir- 19 is a drainage pipe 20 which extends longitudinally of the barge intermediate the walls 3 and 14. Preferably and as shown, the intermediate compartments 14 are simi, 23, Fig. 6, connected to. branch conduits or pipes 24. The two sternmost compartments 14 are drained by pipes2 5 forward thereof is drained firet,

thus causing, the hull 1, to list slightly rearwardly. This causes fluids to gravitate toward the drain wells 22. The well 22 in the sternmost compartment 14 is located in a position; to bring: 'abo'utahaximum drainage; of this compartment. Referring particularly to Figs. 4. and 6, it willbe noted that the. pipes 20, 23,,and- 25 are provided with valves 28 which, preferably and as shown, are pro vided with control members 29 which, project upwardly through the walls to facilitate operation. Drainage of a liquid cargo by the immediately above described process will'completely remove the fluid from all of the compartments; be: some amount of fluid. remaining in the. wells. 22: and in the branch connections 21, 24, and 26. To com.- pletely remove the fluid cargo from these parts, we provide a motor driven pump 30 from which a tubular conduit 31 ,extends between the outer and inner Walls 3 and 7, and has transverse branch connections 32 leading; therefrom. As will be seen particularly by Figs. 6 and 7,,the;free ends of the branch pipes 32 project through thewells 22 and terminate immediately adjacent the bottoms, thereof. It will benoted that the branch pipes 21, 24. and 26 drain centrally into their respective, wells 22. Irrespective, of whether fluid or dry cargo has been shipped in the compartments 14, it will be necessary to completely clean the walls of said compartments by the, use of steam, hot water, detergents, and the like. All moisture resulting from such cleaning will eventually drain, into the wells 22 and be removed by the manner immediately above described-thereby making the compartments available for the shipment of any new' type of cargo whether it be dry or fluid. In the event that dry cargo-is shipped the upper open ends of the wells 22 may, be closed by any suitable cover means, not shown.

Obviously the. dry cargo must be inserted into the compartments:

14 and removedv therefrom through the openings after, the hatches 16 have been removed. On the other hand, fluid may be introduced into the chambers 14. through openings 33 in the hatches 16, which maybe closed by any suitable cover'such as cover 34.

Also, asshown in Figs. 5 and 7, fluid may be removed .from the space between the walls 2 and 6 by means. of

a bilge pump, and through the medium of a longitudinally-extended pipe 35 between the walls 3 and 7 and transverse branch passages 36 which terminate in downturnedends' 37 immediately adjacent the upper surface of the bottomwall 2 at the transverse center thereof. The bilge pump may be assumed to underlie the motor driven drain pump 30. If desired, the pump 30 may be used to selectively drain the Wells 22' or the bilge;

Referring with greater particularity to the hatch mechanisrndisclosed in Figs. 814 inclusive, the numeral38 indicatesla; pair of spaced parallel guide rails on 0pposite. sides of'the hatch opening 15. As shown, rails 38 are mounted on a horizontally disposed 'lip 39 surrounding theopening 15 and suitably supported by spaced vertical ribs 40 which reinforce the upper wall portion 12. The hatch'16 comprises a flat cover plate 41 suitably reinforced by spaced transverse flanges 42 and spaced longitudinally-extended flanges 43, shown as being angular in cross-section. Surrounding the opening 15 immediately adjacent the edge upstanding sealing flange 45 which is adapted to be received between a pairof depending channel formingflanges 46 and 47 adjacent, theperipheral edge of the hatch ,16 See particularly Figs. 13 and 14. As thereshown, the flange 47 extends angularly inwardly some- .what so as to retain between said flanges 46 and 47 an endless resilient sealing gasket 48.

Projecting laterally from opposite sides of the hatch 6 are pairs of trunnions 49, upon each of which are centrally journalled, as indicated at 50, a lever 51, to the lower ends of which are journalled rollers 52 which overlie and are adapted to make engagement with the adjacent rails 38. As shown inFig. 1.0, the rollers 52 However, there will obviously I 44 thereof, is an unbroken are provided with radially projecting circumferentially extended guide flanges 53. In order to impart rocking movements to the spaced pairs of levers 51 on each side of the hatch 16, we. provide a turnbuckle 54 which is in screw-threaded engagement with rods 55 extend ing in opposite directionsfiand pivotallysecured to the upper'ends of the pairs of levers 51, as indicated at 56. It should be obvious that turning of the turnbuckle 54 in one direction will cause the levers 51 to be rocked from their full line position of Fig. 9 to the dotted line position thereof, whereby the hatch 16 will be elevated from the full line to the dotted line position thereshown. ,In view of the fact that the dott-ed line position elevates the hatch 16 above the sealing flange 45, it is extremely easy to slide the hatch 16 longitudinally on the rails 38 to uncover the opening 15 the desired amount for filling or emptying the compartments 14' with respect to dry cargo. For the purpose of sealing the compartments 14- through the medium of the hatch- 16, We provide a plurality of nut-equipped clamping bolts 57 around the perimeter of the opening 16. As shown, the clamping bolts 57 are pivotally secured, as at 58, to laterally-spaced upstanding bracket members 59 projecting upwardly from the wall 12. As shown, particularly in Figs. 13 and 14, the upper nut-equipped ends of the clamping bolts 57 are adapted to be received within the bifurcated ends 60 of fingers 61 which project-laterally outwardly from the hatch 16.

Our novel barge has been commercially tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects, and while We have disclosed a commercial embodiment of our invention, it should be obvious that same is capable of modification without de- What we claim is:

1. In a barge for transporting fluent cargo, an elongated hull having sides, ends and a bottom, longitudinally spaced transverse bulkheads dividing the hull into a plurality of transverse compartments each having smooth side walls and bottom walls, means supporting said bottom Walls in upwardly spaced relation to the hull bottom, at least one drain Well located in each compartment and extending into the space between the hull bottom andthe compartment bottom wall, said drain wells being located substantially along the longitudinal axis of the hull, a first conduit means connected to each "drain Well and communicating with the exterior of the hull for withdrawing fluent cargo from the compartments, a first fluent material handling means for said first conduit means, a second conduit means connected with" each drain Well for removing cleansing fluids, a second fluent material handling means for said second conduit means, said drain Wells in all compartments, except the aftermost, being located adjacent the forwardly facing side of a bulkhead, the drain well for the aftermost compartment being located intermediate the forward and after bulkheads of said aftermost compartment. 2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the second fluent handling means is the bilge pump.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 482,282 Tait Sept. 6, 1892 746,929 Dawley Dec. l5, 1903 1,150,981 Walter Aug. 24, 1915 1,205,619 Hansen Nov. 2.1, 1916 1,877,361 =Perkins Sept. 13, 1932 1,953,389 Bolton et a1. Apr. 3, 1934 2,120,286 MacDonald June 14, 1938 2,127,847 Schulte -2 Aug. 23, 1938 2,242,635 Whittelsey May 2.0, 194i 2,346,505 Preuss Apr. 1], i944 FOREIGN PATENTS 807,595 Germany July 2, 1951 

